Ultrasound diagnostic apparatuses have a plurality of functions related to diagnosis, and users of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus suitably set the functions according to the contents of the diagnosis or the like, for diagnosis. In recent years, the performances of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus have been significantly improved, and, accordingly, the number of functions related to the diagnosis is also increasing. Because of this, the ultrasound diagnosis apparatus is desirably designed such that the user can easily set a large number of functions.
Because a typical ultrasound diagnostic apparatus has a display for displaying an ultrasound image, the setting contents or the like of the functions may be displayed on the display, to provide an environment where setting by the user is facilitated. For example, a touch panel may be employed for the display, and operation buttons of the functions and setting contents or the like may be displayed on the touch panel, so that the user can directly set the functions through the touch panel while checking the displayed contents.
However, due to restrictions on the design of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus or on cost, for example, it may not always be possible to equip the touch panel in the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus.
Patent Document 1 discloses a technique where a desired function is enabled from among a plurality of functions assigned to a manual adjustment device. Patent Document 2 discloses an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus in which functions such as a switch provided in the ultrasound probe or the like can be selected by the user according to the user's preferences. Patent Document 3 also discloses a technique where a plurality of functions are assigned to operation switches.